Pub Brawl
by Secrets-and-Smiles
Summary: The team's trip to the pub is interrupted by a drunken idiot. Warning this fic includes the use of homophobic language.


**Author's Note:** Torchwood is owned by the BBC. Warning this fanfic includes the use of homophobic language and homophobic abuse, obviously I do not condone this.

Pub Brawl

"And so" Jack chuckled "I'm just stood there, butt naked and-"

"For god's sake Harkness" moaned Owen, quickly drinking the rest of his pint.

Jack opened his mouth to continue and was quickly silenced with a finger to his lips "stop scaring everybody" scolded Ianto.

Jack just smiled and kissed Ianto's finger before moaning "fine. Did I ever tell you about the time-"

"Yes!" chorused the team loudly.

Jack tried to look affronted but failed miserably "do I go on?" he asked Ianto, turning towards the young man sitting next to him.

"Just a bit" smiled Ianto.

Only Tosh noticed when Jack went to lean forward to kiss Ianto and Ianto stopped him by taking a last gulp of his drink. Jack looked disappointed for a second but was interrupted by his mobile ringing; he glanced at the screen and groaned, "I'll be back in a second."

"I'll get another round in" said Ianto, moving to slide out of the booth after Jack. Jack brushed his fingers against Ianto's as he left him and was rewarded with a small smile.

"Harkness" he answered, "just a moment I need to get to somewhere a little quieter." Jack manoeuvred around the other patrons in the pub, moving towards the nearest exit and wondered again why Ianto was so against public displays of affection. "Stupid twenty first century labels" he muttered to himself, before pushing the door open.

Ianto stood at the bar and waited patiently to be served, the pub was heaving but he was soon noticed by the barmaid.

"Hi Ianto" she said, Ianto and the team were regulars now so she began to make the drinks before he even opened his mouth.

"Hi Carol" he smiled "you must be shattered."

Carol laughed "yeah it's manic as ever." She looked over to the team's booth and saw that Jack had gone "where's your fella eh?"

Ianto mentally scolded himself for blushing; of course Carol would know, he and Jack often went to the pub alone, it wouldn't take a genius to work it out.

"Just nipped out for a moment" he answered.

"Damn" Carol muttered "I need to change the barrel won't be a second, sorry Ianto."

"S' okay Carol" Ianto smiled understandingly.

Carol bustled off to go and sort out the barrel and Ianto stood leaning against the bar, looking for Jack amongst the throng of people milling around.

"Oi" a man slurred.

Ianto turned around and saw a middle aged man sat on a bar stool.

"Yes?" said Ianto, not bothering with pleasantries.

"I know what you are."

Ianto raised an eyebrow wondering if this was Torchwood related "and what is that?"

"You're one of those gay guys" the drunk man said loudly.

Ianto felt mortified but didn't show it on his face, it wasn't helping that several people had overheard and was now looking at them. Ianto just opted for ignoring him and tapped his foot impatiently still waiting for Carol to come back.

"Oi" the loudmouthed man said, moving so that he was standing in front of Ianto and making himself impossible to ignore, "I'm talking to you."

This much louder 'oi' attracted the attention of the Torchwood team sat in their booth.

Ianto just raised an eyebrow "I can see that but I don't want to talk to you."

"I've been watching you" the man slurred, his face getting redder, a mixture of booze and anger.

"Have we got a problem?" asked Owen walking over to the bar, getting ready for a fight.

"Just leave it Owen" said Ianto "please" he added.

"Oh what is he your boyfriend too? Bloody poofs, I've told your lot before, I don't want to look at ya."

Tosh and Gwen were shocked at the filth that was coming out of the lout's mouth and moved to step in.

Ianto held his hand out to stop them, motioning for them to sit back down, "I suggest that you leave" he said calmly at the man.

A crowd was beginning to gather and people began to mutter, Ianto wasn't quite sure if they were on his side or the drunkard's but at least nobody was joining in, in the abuse.

"Problem gentleman?" Carol asked coming back and beginning to pull the pints that Ianto had requested.

Ianto shook his head, "no Carol, thank you."

"I 'aint finished with you" the man demanded.

"I think you should leave" Carol interrupted.

"Yeah" said Owen folding his arms.

"I think you should go" added Ianto.

"Like fuck I will bloody nancy boys trying to tell me what to do, so where's your boyfriend eh? The prick in the fucking poncy coat?"

To the team's utter astonishment, and to be honest most of the pub's based on Ianto's appearance, Ianto floored the guy with a punch to the nose. A loud crack signalled that Ianto had broken it and the guy didn't move, staring up at Ianto in fear, holding his bleeding nose.

"Now fuck off!" Ianto growled.

The man scrabbled back wildly, the watching crowd parting easily for him and soon staggered up to leave through the door. The team were shocked, Ianto had endured all that abuse calmly until Jack had been mentioned and then he had snapped. The man who was usually so in control, no matter what the situation was, had lost it and shown some of that passion and rage that they had only ever seen the night when Lisa was discovered.

Gwen couldn't help but wonder if that meant that Ianto loved Jack just as fiercely.

More amazingly Ianto just smoothed his tie down his chest and turned to Carol. "Sorry about that" he said feeling slightly relieved as the crowd stopped staring and the general chatter of the pub resumed.

"No need mate I can't stand the wanker" she said cheerfully "he deserved it. I won't have him abusing my favourite customer."

Ianto smiled tightly and paid for his drinks before walking over with the tray to the stunned team. "Here's your white wine Tosh" Ianto said. "Jack's whisky, a pint for Owen and tequila sunrise for Gwen." The team took their drinks silently. "What?" asked Ianto taking a sip of his own pint.

"Are we just pretending that you didn't just floor a guy?" asked Owen.

"He deserved it" Tosh said angrily and Gwen nodded in agreement.

"Yes" said Ianto "and I'd rather you didn't tell Jack."

"Why not?" said Gwen indignantly "he'd have that bloke in a closet with a Weevil before you knew it."

"Exactly" sighed Ianto "I don't want a fuss, I just want a drink."

Privately he thought that he didn't want Jack to know that he cared that much that he snapped, or that he was that bothered by an uneducated idiot. Ianto knew that it upset Jack that he wouldn't be affectionate in public and he hated the fact that he let homophobic people get to him; he also hated the fact that he now felt justified in his restraint.

At that moment Jack came bustling back into the pub and threw himself into his seat "what did I miss eh?" he said eagerly.

"What do you mean?" said Tosh, a little too quickly.

"Some guy just fell out of the pub with a bloody nose" Jack said, "did I miss anything good?"

Ianto hid his red knuckles underneath the table and said "just a small pub brawl, he got chucked out for being a bit too drunk."

"Ah" said Jack "thanks for the drink Yan."

Ianto tried not to give anything away as Jack held his hand under the table and squeezed back lightly. He sent a warning look to the rest of the team who just slurped their drinks and said nothing.

Later that night Ianto was stood in his bedroom, hanging up his suit jacket. Jack walked towards the younger man and helped him take off his tie.

"So you going to tell me what really happened?" he said softly, focusing on the difficult knot rather than looking at Ianto's face.

"What do you mean?" said Ianto carefully.

"The guy who got thrown out after a fight saw me as he left the pub" Jack chanced a look at Ianto's face and saw the young man close his eyes and mouth the word 'fuck.' "He started ranting about my stupid boyfriend being a maniac."

"He deserved it" Ianto said heatedly.

Jack moved his hands to the top of Ianto's biceps, looked into his eyes and said "I'm sure he did, I just don't know why you didn't tell me."

Ianto shrugged and tried to move away but Jack just gripped his arms a little more tightly. "Did he say something about me? About us?"

Ianto avoided eye contact and made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat. He was surprised to feel a small kiss pressed to his cheek.

"Thank you" Jack whispered.

"He was being rude" Ianto admitted "and I lost my temper."

Jack knew what it took for Ianto to lose his temper and wanted to know what the man had said. "What did he say? You don't have to protect me from it you know."

Ianto smiled a small smile and decided that he'd never tell Jack what was exactly said, it would just upset him. "He was rude about your coat" he offered.

Jack gasped theatrically "not the coat!" He stepped even closer to Ianto and said "I do love that coat."

"Me too" murmured Ianto, his heart rate quickening as Jack leaned in even closer, his lips brushing his ear.

"I love you too" Jack whispered.

Ianto was momentarily shocked before he pulled Jack tightly towards him and crushed their lips together. Pulling back for a second Ianto whispered back breathlessly "I love you too Jack."


End file.
